Kids birthday parties suck

[Easy Mac]

Our daughter had her 4th birthday last week. Because Clemson, Carolina and Furman all had games last Saturday and we already had plans Sunday, we decided to wait a weekend to have her party, since literally none of the three teams were playing.

We've had a run of 3 weeks with absolutely no rain and perfect weekends. So of course, every weather app says the severe rain and storms start at the exact time of the party tomorrow. And of course we were planning to have it outside, renting a bounce house, and letting a mass of kids run around for 2 hours.

Now, we have to figure out a contingency plan for if all 22 4 year old RSVPs, plus parents, plus family, show up at our house and its pouring down rain.

Any ideas other than, dump out a bunch of crayons, fire up some kids-y music, and hope they don't destroy our walls and house?

[muns]

Chucky cheese?

[johnnyshaka]

Put a tarp down on the grass and have a massive slip and slide? :)

[Butter]

I second the Chuck E. Cheese suggestion.

[molson]

Ya, this is pretty much why Chuck E. Cheese exists, to keep weird kids out of your house.

[Eaglesfan27]

We had the same thing happen for Mary's 4th birthday party. We just moved the entire party inside and prayed for the best while doing some impromptu inside based games. Next year, we rented a building because we didn't want a repeat of that situation. Good luck!

[flere-imsaho]

Can you put up the bounce house in your garage? This was our contingency plan (didn't need it, thankfully).

[Lathum]

put a large tent/ canopy up outside?

[Butter]

Or, if you don't like Chuck E. Cheese, you can do what my wife and I did one year and let everyone in the house when it rained out our outdoor party, and find that one of the kids pooped on your bathroom scale.

IBM says, You make the call.

[Eaglesfan27]

put a large tent/ canopy up outside?

We had a large tent but in a down pour it wasn't sufficient for everyone so the party moved inside.

[Glengoyne]

Mrs. Glen here to chime in....

First thought is a circus tent to butt up against you house and enclose the bounce house. That way you don't have to worry about the travel distance between the two drenching kids and parents alike.

If that is seen as unreasonable, and you are looking at the crayon idea, I'd suggest getting a roll of butcher paper and cover the walls... The kids will go nuts because not only can they draw on the walls, but you are encouraging them to do so.

Depending on the gender dynamic, you could go to the dollar store and procure copious amounts of dress up jewelry and let the girls go nuts. Maybe get some quick drying nail polish and one parent could paint nails. Note: this will only work with girley girls.

Bubbles. You could always do bubbles. Yes, indoors... Desperate times call for desperate measures!

And alcohol, copious amounts of alcohol... You will need it!

[DanGarion]

If it's going to be that bad I'm sure you won't have as many kids show up...

[spleen1015]

Cancel the party and buy your daughter a pony.

[Flasch186]

Lots of towels, turn your garage into a staging area and allow the kids to be a wet bounce house, lay out a lot of visqueen for a huge enormous slip and slide (have hoses nearby in case it doesnt rain) and turn your outdoors into a giant wet and wild with the garage being a drying and staging area.

[Chief Rum]

Or, if you don't like Chuck E. Cheese, you can do what my wife and I did one year and let everyone in the house when it rained out our outdoor party, and find that one of the kids pooped on your bathroom scale.

IBM says, You make the call.

Surprised no one asked this... how much did the poop weigh?

[AENeuman]

22 4 year olds !!!!? can you fit them and their family in your house?

when i did y camp with this age the key was to have stations of activities that allowed for better flow and temperaments

you could turn your house into something like a harvest festival, here's some stuff that has worked for me :

face painting station
fancy hat making maya*made: party hats (http://mayamade.blogspot.com/2008/07/party-hats_22.html)
cookie/cup cake decoration
obstacle course (seat cushions)
balloon popping (sitting is usual safest)
dress up parade (using pot and pans)

BTW, my wife and I have been debating this for years, do you expect each family to bring a present? i have never seen my niece lose it like when she is surrounded by a wall of presents.

[Easy Mac]

We are/were planning on having it at a picnic shelter across the street. We may try to see if the bounce house will fit under it, because its about 2 feet too wide, long and tall for our garage.

Unfortunately, its about a 150 foot walk to our actual house, so we'll have to figure out how to keep people relatively dry.

I think we may just let the girls play dress up (think ratio is 5-1 girls to boys), have coloring inside, put out some board games, and see what cheap party games we can think up.

I just feel bad for the parents that are coming. We have 2k square feet, but its not overly usable and is going to be very cramped. Thankfully we'll have ample alcohol and things to snack on.

[Easy Mac]

22 4 year olds !!!!? can you fit them and their family in your house?

We'll see. 22 3-5 year olds RSVP'd. Assuming only 1 parent, and counting family, we should have about 50 people in our house.

I'm thinking about spacing her playroom toys out around the 2 other rooms upstairs.

The downside is, the rain chance has been growing through the week, it wasn't until Tuesday that there was even a 10% chance of just rain, by Thursday it was about 60%, now its 80% with thunderstorms. If we had known early enough, we might have been able to move it to the morning, but 24 hours is just not enough notice to give parents.

This is what we get for trying to schedule around the football gods.

[Lathum]

I just feel bad for the parents that are coming. We have 2k square feet, but its not overly usable and is going to be very cramped. Thankfully we'll have ample alcohol and things to snack on.

I would hope the parents would understand

[Butter]

Surprised no one asked this... how much did the poop weigh?

It was a digital scale, so it just said:

--E--

[sterlingice]

Or, if you don't like Chuck E. Cheese, you can do what my wife and I did one year and let everyone in the house when it rained out our outdoor party, and find that one of the kids pooped on your bathroom scale.

IBM says, You make the call.

So you're endorsing each kid taking turns pooping on the scale?

SI

[Julio Riddols]

Slip a sedative into the cake batter. Serve the cake. Party with the other equally relieved parents until the kids come to.

[Julio Riddols]

In all seriousness, the butcher paper on the walls idea is awesome, IMO. That and the stationed activity carnival thing.

[Easy Mac]

So I think it might rain at the party

http://i.imgur.com/R5NsUL2.jpg

http://imgur.com/R5NsUL2

[Lathum]

I live right in he middle of that mess and it is pretty ugly out.

[Desnudo]

In all seriousness, the butcher paper on the walls idea is awesome, IMO. That and the stationed activity carnival thing.

I think the paper idea is great as well.

[sterlingice]

It's been pouring all night in Houston from that cold front and is still going. Our highs will only be in the upper 80s to start next week. Fall is coming! (wait, no it's not)

SI

[corbes]

Butcher paper on the walls is absolute genius.

[Easy Mac]

T minus 45 minutes. House is as ready as it can be. We have a few games, coloring, and dress up. Of course, the downpour they predicted for 3 is now for 6, but we already canceled the bounce house outside.

We have bubbled, chalk, and outside toys if we have to.

[Julio Riddols]

If you don't make it, I'll tell the folks back home you fought bravely to the very end.

[Simbo Klice]

Call the police on yourself 5 minutes in.

[Easy Mac]

Started raining at 3. Definitely crowded. The girls mainly stayed upstairs playing dress up. They made some hats. The adults were definitely in sections, neighborhood friends, school friends, and family. Not horrible. Ha enough beer and juice. Took about 30 minutes to clean the house.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Took about 30 minutes to clean the house.

Win.

[Easy Mac]

As far as we can tell, we only lost one tiny piece of one game.

Thanks everyone for the advice.

Next year, we're taking her to the bounce house.